The developer preview of Mac OS X Lion released to developers on Thursday sports a new interface look akin to iTunes for the Finder, Mail and iCal, while applications like Address adopt design elements borrowed from the iPad. AppleInsider offers a first look.

iPad-style Mail, Address Book, iCal

According to people familiar with the software, Mac OS X 10.7 Lion features a new version of Mail with a widescreen layout inspired by the mail application on the iPad. Among the new additions is Conversations, a feature that automatically groups related messages into one easy-to-read timeline.

Mail also features a more powerful search, and support for Microsoft Exchange 2010.

The address book has also taken a cue from the iPad, and iCal has also borrowed design elements from the interface on Apple's popular touchscreen tablet.